𝐏𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 || 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐳 ||

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐

˗ˏˋ꒰💛 ꒱

It was the day of the read-through, and Milo realized she'd forgotten to print her script and sheet music until that very day. 

Hurriedly, she stood in line for the printer at the library, feeling the weight of her forgetfulness settling in. As she waited, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Did you forget?" Milo turned to find her younger sister, Harper, grinning at her. Milo couldn't help but roll her eyes. "No, me? Never," she replied sarcastically, watching Harper's amused expression.

Harper stared at her for a moment before responding, "Yes, yes I did." Milo sighed, admitting her mistake to her sister, who simply nodded in understanding.

"Why are you waiting in line for the printer? I think Joey has one in his dorm," Harper said to her older sister, clutching her binder containing the script and sheet music. Milo observed as the person in front of her finally finished with the printer, then glanced over at Harper.

"Because... uh," Milo began, searching for an excuse. "I don't know," she admitted, before making her way over to the printer to prepare her script and sheet music . As she did so, Milo suddenly remembered that she hadn't highlighted any of her lines yet.

"Do you have any highlighters?" she asked Harper, who shook her head in response. "Are you joking?" Milo questioned incredulously, as Harper stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter. 

"You never highlighted your lines yet?" Harper exclaimed between laughs, looking at Milo, who wasn't finding the situation as amusing.

"No," Milo replied, watching Harper slowly stop laughing. "I think Dylan or Lauren are bringing some. I was talking to them a few days ago," Harper informed Milo, who smiled at the reassurance.

˗ˏˋ꒰💛 ꒱

After getting her script and sheet music printed, Milo and Harper made their way to the location of the read-through. Walking in silence, they eventually reached the designated space. Milo entered first, followed by Harper. 

The room was arranged with tables in a horseshoe shape, surrounded by chairs. As Milo scanned the room, she recognized familiar faces like Joe Walker, Dylan Saunders, and a few others.

Turning to Harper, Milo said, "I'm gonna go say hi to Joe and Dylan." Harper nodded in response, grinning mischievously. "Alright, have fun with Joe and Dylan," she teased, poking fun at Milo's crush on Dylan. Milo shot her sister a glare before making her way over to Joey.

Milo set her belongings on an empty chair before approaching Joe and Dylan, who were engaged in conversation. Joe noticed her and greeted her with a smile. "Hey, Milo!" he exclaimed warmly. Dylan turned his attention towards Milo as well, offering her a soft smile. "Hey, Milo," he said in return.

Milo slipped her hands into the pockets of her jeans, returning their smiles. "Hey, guys!" she greeted them with a smile of her own.

A few minutes later, Lauren entered the room, holding her belongings in her hands. She couldn't help but overhear laughter emanating from across the room, drawing her attention. When she looked over, she spotted Milo having a conversation with Dylan. 

Lauren's gaze shifted away momentarily before she redirected her attention to Joey and Harper, swiftly making her way over to them.

"Hey!" Joey greeted Lauren with a smile as she approached, followed by Harper's cheerful greeting. "Hey, Lauren!" Harper chimed in, smiling warmly. Sensing something was off, Lauren wasted no time in addressing her concerns.

"Okay, um, are Milo and Dylan dating or something?" she questioned, her curiosity piqued. Joey and Harper exchanged a glance before turning their attention back to Lauren.

"Um, no, why—" Joey began to respond, but Harper interjected before he could finish.

"Are you jealous?" Harper teased, her playful tone evident. Lauren immediately shook her head in denial. "No!" she retorted, though her gaze involuntarily flickered back toward Milo and Dylan.

Harper glanced at her older brother briefly before redirecting her attention to Lauren. "Are you sure?" she inquired once more, a hint of skepticism in her tone. Lauren maintained her stance. "Yes I'm sure, I'm not jealous Harper" she insisted, meeting Harper's gaze firmly.

"Okay, if you say so," Harper conceded, though her expression suggested she wasn't entirely convinced. Just then, Nick and Matt Lang made their entrance into the room. "Alright! everyone grab a seat and let's get this read-through started," Nick announced, prompting everyone to find their places.

Milo bid farewell to Dylan and made her way to her seat, settling down right beside Lauren. 

She greeted her with a warm smile. "Hey Lauren," Milo said cheerfully as she opened her script. Lauren returned the smile. "Hey," she replied, also opening her script.

˗ˏˋ꒰💛 ꒱